The 2013 Los Angeles Dodgers season was the Dodgers' 124th for the franchise in Major League Baseball, and their 56th season in Los Angeles. The Dodgers dealt with a series of injuries to key players during the first half of the season and on June 21 were 31-42, 9 1/2 games back in last place in the NL West. Beginning with a 6-1 win over the San Diego Padres on June 22, the return of the injured players, and the emergence of rookie Yasiel Puig, they went 46-10 through August 23 as the rest of the division collapsed. On September 19, they clinched the Western Division title. This was the earliest the Dodgers had ever clinched a title and the largest deficit they had ever overcome to win the division. They opened the playoffs by defeating the Atlanta Braves in the Division Series and advanced to the NL Championship Series. In the NLCS, they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in six games.

The Dodgers fired hitting coach Dave Hansen after the 2012 season but retained the rest of their coaching staff for 2013.[1] On November 7, the Dodgers hired Mark McGwire to be the new hitting coach.[2] On November 13, the Dodgers promoted bullpen coach Ken Howell to assistant pitching coach and named Chuck Crim as the new bullpen coach. They also named John Valentin as assistant hitting coach.[3]

Korean pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu was signed by the Dodgers to a 6-year $36 million contract

The Dodgers signed Zack Greinke to a 6-year $147 million contract, the richest ever for a right-handed starter to that point

The Dodgers began their offseason by re-signing closer Brandon League to a three-year, $22.5 million contract.[6] On December 9, the Dodgers signed pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu to a six-year, $36 million contract after winning his rights from the Hanwha Eagles in the Korean Baseball Organization.[7] The Dodgers, on December 10, signed the top free agent pitcher, Zack Greinke, to a six-year, $147 million contract, the largest ever awarded to a right-handed pitcher.[8] They signed left-handed relief pitcher J. P. Howell to a one-year, $2.75 million contract on January 8.[9]

In the WBC Championship game, Ramirez injured his hand while diving for a ball. An MRI the next day revealed a torn thumb ligament which would require surgery. The Dodgers announced that he would miss the first two months of the season while recovering.[13]

One of the big stories of spring training was the play of Cuban defector Yasiel Puig. He hit .526 in Cactus League games and there was talk that he might be able to make the opening day roster, despite being a "very raw" talent who had only briefly played in Class-A the year before. However, the club sent him to AA Chattanooga to start the season.[14]

The Dodgers began the regular season at home on April 1 against the San Francisco Giants. Clayton Kershaw made the opening day start for the third straight season and pitched a complete game shutout as the Dodgers won 4-0. Kershaw also hit his first career home run in the game, for the Dodgers' first run in the bottom of the 8th.[15] Korean pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu made his Major League debut the following day, allowing three runs (one earned) on 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings to pick up the 3-0 loss.[16] The Dodgers went 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position in the series finale, and Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence hit homers off Josh Beckett as the Giants won 5-3.[17]Zack Greinke made his Dodgers debut on April 5, pitching a two-hitter for 6 1/3 innings in the Dodgers' 3-0 win. Andre Ethier hit a solo homer in the game.[18] In his second start of the season, Kershaw pitched seven shutout innings while striking out nine and only allowing two hits in the 1-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.[19] The Dodgers finished off their three-game sweep of the Pirates with a 6-2 win on April 7. Adrian Gonzalez had four RBI and Ryu picked up his first Major League win in the game.[20]

The Dodgers began their first road trip of the season on April 9 at Petco Park against the San Diego Padres. The bullpen allowed 5 runs to score in the bottom of the 8th and the team lost 9-3.[21] In Game 2 of the Padres series, Chad Billingsley made his first start of the season and allowed only one run in six innings. Carl Crawford and A. J. Ellis both homered in the 4-3 win.[22] The Dodgers won the third game of the series, 3-2, thanks to a go-ahead pinch hit home run by Juan Uribe. However, pitcher Zack Greinke injured his left collarbone when Carlos Quentin charged the mound and tackled him to the ground after he was hit by a pitch.[23] Kershaw pitched well again in his next start, against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but the offense failed to score and the team lost 3-0.[24] Ryu struck out nine in six innings in his next start and also went 3 for 3 at the plate as the Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks 7-5.[25] Josh Beckett struck out nine in the next game and pitched a complete game, but the offense failed to score and he allowed the game-winning hit by Paul Goldschmidt in the bottom of the ninth of the 1-0 loss.[26]

The Dodgers returned home on April 15 for a Jackie Robinson Day game against the Padres. Eric Stults hit a three-run homer off Chad Billingsley and the Dodgers again were unable to get key hits and lost 6-3.[27]Chris Capuano made his first start of the season on April 16, replacing the injured Zack Greinke in the rotation. He struggled early, allowing four runs in the first inning and then left the game in the top of the third after suffering his own injury, a strained left calf. The Dodgers lost 9-2.[28] Kershaw picked up his 1,000th career strikeout when he fanned Yonder Alonso of the Padres in the 2nd inning on April 17. He became the youngest Dodger pitcher to reach that mark since Fernando Valenzuela. However, he struggled after that and the offense again failed to do much as the team lost 7-2. The Dodgers were swept at home by the Padres for the first time since 2006.[29]

The Dodgers were rained out on April 19 at Camden Yards and forced to play a doubleheader the following day against the Baltimore Orioles. Their losing streak extended to six games after they lost both games of the doubleheader. In the first game, Andre Ethier hit a three-run homer in the first to stake the Dodgers to a 4-0 lead but Ryu allowed two home runs and the bullpen again failed as the team lost 7-5.[30]Manny Machado battered Beckett for a homer, double, single and 4 RBIs in the nightcap as the Orioles won 6-1.[31] The Dodgers woes continued when Chad Billingsley was scratched from his scheduled April 20 start and placed on the disabled list due to pain in his elbow. Stephen Fife was recalled from AAA Albuquerque to make the start.[32] The Dodgers did manage to end the six-game losing streak with a 7-4 victory in the series finale.[33]Mark Ellis hit two home runs in the Dodgers 7-2 victory over the New York Mets at Citi Field on April 23.[34]Ted Lilly made his first start of the season the following day and held the Mets to 1 run on 6 hits in 5 innings while striking out 7. Matt Kemp also hit his first home run of the season. However, the Mets tied the game in the bottom of the ninth and then won it with a walk-off grand slam by Jordany Valdespin off of Josh Wall in the bottom of the 10th.[35] The Dodgers got a two run rally in the top of the ninth on the 25th to pick up a 3-2 win over the Mets in the final game of the road trip.[36]

The Dodgers returned home on April 26 to begin a three-game weekend series with the Milwaukee Brewers. Adrian Gonzalez doubled twice and drove in 3 runs in the 7-5 victory. Mark Ellis left the game after five innings because of a strained right quad.[37] Fife was placed on the disabled list the next day and Matt Magill was called up from the minors to make his Major League debut. Magill allowed only two runs in 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven. However, Matt Guerrier allowed two home runs and they lost 6-4.[38] Clayton Kershaw struck out 12 while pitching 8 shutout innings and Carl Crawford hit two homers as the Dodgers beat the Brewers 2-0 to win the series.[39] Ted Lilly allowed five runs in the first three innings in his next start and Josh Wall allowed seven more in 2 innings of relief as the Dodgers were crushed by the Colorado Rockies 12-2.[40] The Dodgers finished April with a 13–13 record after Ryu struck out 12 in 6 innings and Hanley Ramírez homered in his first start of the season after coming off the disabled list.[41]

Josh Beckett fell to 0-4 on the season as the Dodgers lost to the Rockies 7-3 to start the month of May.[42]

The Dodgers injury epidemic continued as Hanley Ramírez, after playing in just four games, injured his hamstring in the May 3 game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Clayton Kershaw allowed only 3 hits and 1 run in 7 innings but the Giants won 2-1 on a walk-off home run by Buster Posey.[43] The following day, Matt Magill got pounded in his second start, allowing 5 runs in only 1.1 innings. The Dodgers fell behind 6-1 but came back to tie the game, partially thanks to Dee Gordon who tripled, stole two bases and scored two runs. However, they wound up losing 10-9 on a walk-off home run by Guillermo Quiróz in the 10th inning.[44] The Giants completed the sweep of the injury-riddled Dodgers the next day, 4-3.[45]

An eight-game losing streak to start the month of May had fans calling for Manager Don Mattingly to be fired.

The team returned home to open a series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Chris Capuano came off the disabled list to allow six runs in 4+ innings, Carl Crawford misplayed two balls in the outfield and the losing streak hit 5 in a 9-2 loss.[46]Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer off Brandon League in the ninth on May 7 to send the Dodgers to their sixth straight loss 5-3. This was the second six-game losing streak of the season for the team, the first time that had happened since 1912.[47] Goldschmidt hit two more runs the next day as the Diamondbacks won 3-2. This was the first time the Dodgers had been swept in consecutive series since 2008.[48] The Dodgers combined for 10 hits on May 10 against the Miami Marlins, including a three-run homer by Adrian Gonzalez in the first inning. But it wasn't enough as they lost 5-4 to run the losing streak to 8.[49]Hyun-jin Ryu pitched well the next day, allowing only 1 run in 6.2 innings, as the Dodgers snapped their 8-game losing streak with a 7-1 win over the Marlins. Andre Ethier had 4 hits in 4 at-bats and Dee Gordon hit his 2nd career home run in the win.[50] Chris Capuano picked up his first win of the season on Mother's Day as Scott Van Slyke went 2 for 4 with a home run in the Dodgers 5-3 win. Matt Kemp picked up his 1,000th career hit in the game, the fifth fastest Dodger to reach that mark.[51] Beckett struggled the next night, allowing 4 runs in only 3 innings of a 6-2 loss to the Washington Nationals.[52] Kershaw was back on the mound on May 14, striking out 11 in 8 2/3 scoreless innings. Andre Ethier provided a two-run single for the 2-0 win.[53]Zack Greinke returned from the disabled list to allow only one run in 5 1/3 innings to get a 3-1 win over the Nationals in the final game of the homestand.[54]

The Dodgers went back on the road on May 17 against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. Van Slyke hit two home runs in the first game but Paco Rodriguez allowed a grand slam home run to Justin Upton and the Braves won 8-5.[55] Chris Capuano pitched well the next day, taking a shutout into the 8th inning but reliever Kenley Jansen allowed back-to-back homers to Evan Gattis and Andrelton Simmons and the team lost again, 3-1.[56] The bullpen surrendered the lead again the next night as the Braves completed the sweep with a 5-2 win.[57] The Dodgers traveled to Miller Park for a series against the Milwaukee Brewers next. After 3 straight days of bullpen meltdowns, Clayton Kershaw picked the team up by pitching his 10th career complete game and only allowing 3 hits in a 3-1 victory. Ethier and Kemp homered in the win.[58] The team reverted to form the next day as they stranded 14 runners in scorring position and Zack Greinke struggled in a 5-2 defeat.[59] The offense finally came alive as the Dodgers wrapped up the road trip with a 9-2 win over the Brewers on May 22.[60]

The Dodgers returned home on May 24 for a series against the St. Louis Cardinals amid media speculation that Manager Don Mattingly was in danger of losing his job.[61] The team didn't help his cause as they managed only 3 hits against Lance Lynn and lost 7-0.[62]Adrian Gonzalez had a homer, double and three RBI in a 5-3 victory over the Cardinals the following day.[63] Gonzalez homered and drove in 3 more the next day, but Kershaw had a rough outing allowing four runs, his most all season, in a 5-3 loss.[64] Continuing his hot streak, Gonzalez was 4 for 4 on May 27 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as the Dodgers came back from a 6-1 deficit to win 8-7.[65] Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched a complete game shutout and Luis Cruz hit his first home run of the year in a 3-0 win over the Angels the following day in the final game of the homestand.[66]

The Freeway series continued the next night at Angel Stadium, as Jered Weaver held the Dodgers offense in check and the Angels won 4-3.[67] The Angels took the finale to the series, 3-2, thanks to solid pitching by Jason Vargas and an RBI infield single by Chris Nelson.[68] The Dodgers concluded a tough month of May with a game at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies. Kershaw pitched seven plus solid innings but Todd Helton two-run homer off closer Brandon League tied the game in the bottom of the ninth. The Dodgers rallied to score two in the tenth for their first extra inning win of the season, 7-5.[69]

The Dodgers began June much the way they ended May. Ronald Belisario allowed a two-run homer to Michael Cuddyer in the seventh to blow the lead and then Dexter Fowler hit a walk-off single off Matt Guerrier in the 10th as the Rockies beat the Dodgers 7-6.[70]Matt Magill was called up from the minors to make a spot start on June 2 but he struggled. Magill became the first Major Leaguer since at least 1916 to allow at least nine walks and four homers in the same start as the Dodgers were crushed 7-2.[71]

Yasiel Puig made his debut in June and hit .436 with 7 home runs. His 44 hits in the month was second most all-time for a rookie in his debut month.

The Dodgers returned home to play the San Diego Padres. Stephen Fife was the second straight spot starter, allowing one run in 5 1/3 innings. Adrian Gonzalez and Scott Van Slyke each hit solo homers to account for all the Dodgers runs in the 2-1 win. The story of the game however, was the debut of top prospect Yasiel Puig, who went 2 for 4 and threw out a runner at first from the warning track on a double play to end the game.[72] In the next game, Puig went 3 for 4 with a double and two home runs to lead the team to a 9-7 victory. He was the first Dodger player in history with a multi-homer game in one of his first two games and the first with five RBI in one of his first two games since Spider Jorgensen in 1947.[73] However, he went 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts in the series finale as Jason Marquis no hit the Dodgers into the sixth inning and the Padres won 6-2 to keep the Dodgers in last place in the division.[74]Zack Greinke pitched seven scoreless innings on June 6 against the Atlanta Braves and Puig continued his hot start by blasting a grand slam home run in the eighth inning to blow open the Dodgers 5-0 win.[75] Puig homered again the next day, and became only the second player in the modern era with four homers in his first five games and he tied the Major League record with 10 RBI in his first five games. Hyun-Jin Ryu allowed one run on six hits in 7 2/3 innings and the Dodgers won, 2-1, when pinch runnerSkip Schumaker scored on a wild pitch by Anthony Varvaro in the bottom of the 10th.[76] The Braves won the next day, 2-1, as Kris Medlen pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings and hit a solo homer. That was one of two homers allowed by Stephen Fife in the fifth inning.[77] Matt Magill made another emergency start on June 9 as Ted Lilly went back on the disabled list. He walked six and allowed seven runs in 3 2/3 innings as the Dodgers lost to the Braves 8-1.[78]Clayton Kershaw allowed only one run in seven innings on June 10 against the Arizona Diamondbacks but Brandon League was tagged for four runs in the ninth and the Dodgers lost 5-4. Puig had three hits on the day to move his batting average to .500 on the season. He became the first Dodger in history with 16 hits in his first eight games and the first with six multi-hit games in his first eight.[79] The Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks the next day as Tim Federowicz three-run double provided the difference in the 5-3 win. The game was marred by five hit batters, two bench clearing incidents, and six ejections of players and coaches.[80] The Dodgers ended their homestand with an 8-6 loss to the Diamondbacks in 12 innings on June 12.[81]

The Dodgers began a roadtrip at PNC Park on June 14 but the woes continued as Jeff Locke tossed seven shutout innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates won 3-0.[83] The next day, Kershaw allowed only one run and three hits in seven innings, while striking out eight. However, the bullpen coughed up the lead yet again. This time the Dodgers managed to pull out the win 5-3 in 11 innings.[84] A three-run home run by Pedro Álvarez off Greinke was the key to the Pirates' 6-3 win in the series finale.[85] The Dodgers were scheduled to begin a two-game series against the New York Yankees on June 18, but a rain out forced the two teams to play a day-night doubleheader on June 19.[86]Hanley Ramírez had four hits, including a two-run homer in the first game, but the Dodgers committed four errors in the game and lost 6-4.[87]Chris Capuano came off the disabled list to pitch six shutout innings and Puig hit a home run to lead the Dodgers to a split of the doubleheader with a 6-0 win. Puig had 27 hits in his first 15 games, second most all-time.[88] After the game, they took a cross-country plane ride and opened a series against the Padres in San Diego. They lost 6-3 as the Padres defenders made several highlight reel plays and Pedro Ciriaco had an RBI triple and a two-run home run in the game.[89] The Dodgers committed two more errors the next day, tying the Houston Astros for the league lead. They lost 5-2.[90] Zack Greinke had his best start as a Dodger on June 22, holding the Padres to one run and four hits, while striking out eight in eight innings. Adrian Gonzalez and Haney Ramirez homered in the 6-1 victory.[91] Gonzalez and Ramirez hit back-to-back homers the following day to help the Dodgers split the series 3-1.[92]

Hanley Ramírez came off the disabled list in June and had a 12-game hitting streak, during which he hit .477.

The Dodgers returned home on June 24, to open a series against the San Francisco Giants. Yasiel Puig went 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBI in the first game as the Dodgers won 3-1, their first three-game winning streak since they swept the Pirates on April 5–7.[93] They extended the streak to four games when they beat the Giants 6-5 the next day. Ramirez and Mark Ellis homered and Matt Kemp came off the disabled list to make a game-saving catch to end the game and preserve the win.[94] The Dodgers finished off the three-game sweep of the Giants with a 4-2 win on June 26. Kershaw pitched 8+ innings and allowed only a two-run homer to Buster Posey, while striking out seven.[95] Puig delivered the go-ahead two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning as the Dodgers took the opener of a series from the Philadelphia Phillies to stretch the winning streak to six games.[96] The streak came to an abrupt end on June 28 as the Phillies erupted for 21 hits and 16 runs in a 16-1 shellacking of the Dodgers. It was the team's worst home loss since 1947 and the most runs allowed in a game since 2003.[97] Hanley Ramírez was 3 for 4 with a 3 run homer the following day, and also scored the winning run on a walk-off single by A. J. Ellis as the Dodgers won 4-3.[98] The Dodgers finished out their first winning month of the season with a 6-1 victory over the Phillies. Stephen Fife pitched seven shutout innings but the real story was Yasiel Puig who was 4 for 5 with a double and a triple to break Steve Sax's team record for most hits in a month by a rookie with 44. His total was also second most all-time among rookies in their first month, behind only Joe DiMaggio.[99]

In their first July game, the Dodgers moved out of last place for the first time since May 5. Clayton Kershaw struck out eight and pitched a complete game shutout in the 8-0 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field.[100] The Dodgers won again the next night as Juan Uribe, Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramírez and Matt Kemp all homered in the 10-8 win.[101] Gonzalez was 4 for 5 with a homer in the series finale and Kemp also hit another homer, but Chris Capuano allowed 5 runs in 4 1/3 innings and the Rockies won the game, 9-5.[102] The Dodgers began a series with the Giants at AT&T Park on July 5. Uribe had a double, triple, homer and 7 RBI in the 10-2 win.[103] Three errors and an inability to mount any offense against Giants starter Madison Bumgarner led to the 4-2 loss the following day.[104]A. J. Ellis three-run double in the top of the ninth of Sergio Romo gave the Dodgers a 4-1 win on July 7.[105]Zack Greinke allowed only two hits and struck out seven in seven scoreless innings to lead the Dodgers to a 6-1 victory over the first place Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.[106]Ricky Nolasco made his first start as a Dodger on July 9, after having been acquired in a trade with the Miami Marlins a few days prior. He allowed only one run on four hits in seven innings of work and the Dodgers again won 6-1.[107] Hanley Ramírez and A. J. Ellis hit back-to-back homers in the top of the 14th inning as the Dodgers swept the Diamondbacks with a 7-5 win to climb back to .500 for the first time since April 30.[108]

The Dodgers returned home on July 11 and extended their winning streak with a 6-1 victory over the Rockies. Capuano pitched 6.1 scoreless innings, while striking out a season-high eight and Mark Ellis was 3 for 4 with 4 RBI in the game.[109] The Dodgers' five-game winning streak came to an end when Juan Nicasio shut them out 3-0.[110] The Dodgers returned the favor the next day as Zack Greinke struck out nine and allowed only two hits in a 1-0 complete game shutout.[111] The Dodgers headed into the All-Star break with a 47–47 record after losing 3-1 to split the series with the Rockies.[112] Kershaw was the Dodgers only representative at the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, and retired the three batters he faced in his one inning of work.[113]

After the break, the Dodgers traveled to the nation's capital for a three-game series against the Washington Nationals. Hanley Ramírez hit a two-run homer and Andre Ethier a solo shot to account for all the team's runs in a 3-2 win.[114] Ramírez's RBI double in the 10th inning capped a 3 for 5 night as the Dodgers took game 2 of the series, 3-1, on July 20.[115] Matt Kemp rejoined the Dodgers on July 21 after spending two weeks on the disabled list with a sore shoulder. In his return, he was 3 for 4 with a homer as the Dodgers drubbed the Nationals 9-2 to sweep the series.[116] The Dodgers moved into first place for the first time all season when they clobbered the Toronto Blue Jays 14-5 on July 22. A. J. Ellis set career highs with five RBI, four hits (including a homer), and three runs. Skip Schumaker also hit a three-run homer in the game.[117] The following day, the Dodgers fell behind 8-3 after 6 innings but came back and won 10-9. Adrian Gonzalez three-run homer in the eighth inning was the big blow.[118] They came from behind again the next day, closing out the road trip by scoring 5 runs in the top of the 10th with home runs by Mark Ellis and Yasiel Puig to win 8-3.[119] With the win the Dodgers set an L.A. Dodger record with their 10th straight road win, something the Dodgers franchise hadn't done since 1955. This was also the first time they had swept an interleague series (of three or more games) since 2003 and the first time they had scored eight or more runs in four straight games since 1985.[120]

The Dodgers returned home on July 25 and dropped the opener of a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, 5-2. Mat Latos held the Dodgers to one run in 7 2/3 innings, and Jay Bruce and Xavier Paul each homered to end the six-game winning streak.[121] Hanley Ramírez hit a two-run homer to back Clayton Kershaw's eight strikeouts in eight innings as the club won 2-1 in the second game of the series.[122]Hyun-jin Ryu dominated on July 27, striking out nine and allowing only one run on two hits in seven innings in the Dodgers' 4-1 victory over the Reds.[123] Puig hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th as the Dodgers took the series finale 1-0. A pitching duel between Chris Capuano and Tony Cingrani kept the game tied heading into extra innings. The 20 strikeouts by Dodgers batters in the game set a franchise record, breaking the mark set during a 15-inning game on May 2, 1995 against the Giants.[124] Greinke stuck out 7 in 7 innings and Mark Ellis hit a walk-off RBI single in the ninth as the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 3-2 on July 30.[125] Kershaw pitched eight shutout innings as the month came to a close, but Hiroki Kuroda also did not allow a run and the Yankees won 3-0 after scoring all their runs off the Dodgers bullpen in the top of the ninth.[126]

The Dodgers traveled to Wrigley Field and started the month of August with a 6-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs, extending the road winning streak to 11.[127] The following day they won again 6-2, tying the all-time franchise record of 12 set by the 1924 Brooklyn Robins. Hyun-jin Ryu became the first Dodger rookie to win 10 games in a season since Kazuhisa Ishii in 2002.[128] A two-run single by Carl Crawford keyed the Dodgers' 3-0 win over the Cubs on August 3 to extend the streak to 13, a new franchise record and the longest in the National League since the 1976 Phillies also won 13.[129] The team finished off a sweep of the Cubs with a 1-0 victory. Stephen Fife came off the DL to pitch 5 1/3 scoreless innings and Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth for his 17th save, and 25th consecutive batter he had retired in a row. This was the Dodgers' first four-game sweep at Wrigley Field since 1954.[130]Zack Greinke picked up his 100th career win in the Dodgers' 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. He pitched 6 1/3 innings and drove in the eventual winning run with a single in the seventh.[131] A lack of clutch hitting led to the Dodgers first road loss in a month, a 5-1 loss to the Cardinals on August 7. The streak ended at 15, just two behind the all-time record set by the 1984 Tigers and 1916 Giants.[132] Cardinals starter Shelby Miller had to leave the next game after only two pitches due to injury and the Dodgers erupted for 6 runs in the second inning on their way to a 13-4 win. Crawford had 4 hits from the leadoff spot and both Andre Ethier and Skip Schumaker had 3 hits and 4 RBI in the win.[133] Ryu struck out seven in seven innings while not walking a batter and allowing only one unearned run as the Dodgers completed a 7-1 road trip with a 5-1 win. A. J. Ellis delivered the big blow with a 3 run homer.[134]

The Dodgers returned home on August 9 to begin an interleague series against the Tampa Bay Rays. In the opener, the Rays jumped out to a 6-0 lead and David Price allowed only one unearned run through his seven innings. However, the Dodgers rallied against the Rays bullpen with two runs in the eighth and four in the ninth to win 7-6.[135] Zack Greinke pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, Adrian Gonzalez homered, Skip Schumaker had four hits and the Dodgers won the second game of the series, 5-0.[136]Clayton Kershaw dominated in the series finale, striking out eight and allowing just 3 hits and 1 earned run in 8 strong innings, while driving in 2 runs on a second-inning single. The Dodgers won 8-2.[137] The next day, they beat the New York Mets 4-2 as Nick Punto homered and Gonzalez had three hits and an RBI. The Dodgers record of 38-8 over their past 46 games was the franchise's best mark since the 1899 Brooklyn Superbas.[138] Ryu pitched another good game the following day, beating Mets ace Matt Harvey to pick up his 12th win in the Dodgers 4-2 victory.[139] On August 14, the Dodgers fell behind early 4-0 after 3 innings but again fought their way back and tied it up on a two-run pinch hit homer by Andre Ethier in the bottom of the ninth. Back-to-back doubles by Yasiel Puig and Gonzalez in the 12th gave them a 5-4 walk-off win. This was the 12th straight victory for the Dodgers in one-run games, a franchise record, and their 40th win in 48 games, the best mark in the Majors since the 1942 St. Louis Cardinals.[140]

The Dodgers traveled to the east coast to begin a road trip with the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Greinke and the bullpen shut out the Phillies and Hanley Ramírez hit a two-run homer in the 4-0 win.[141] Kershaw struck out 8 in 8 scoreless innings as the Dodgers shut out the Phillies again, 5-0 for their first 10 game win streak since 2006. The record of 42-8 over the past 50 games was the third best 50 game stretch in Major League history, behind only the 1906 Cubs and 1912 Giants.[142] The streak was snapped the next day as Ramirez made two errors in the bottom of the ninth and the Phillies won 3-2.[143] The Dodgers lost consecutive games for the first time since June 20–21 when they dropped the opener of a series against the Miami Marlins 6-2 on August 19 at Marlins Park.[144] Yasiel Puig came off the bench and hit a solo homer to lead off the eighth inning as the Dodgers won the second game of the series, 6-4.[145] Greinke pitched another good game the next day, allowing only one run in eight innings as the Dodgers capitalized on 3 Marlins errors to win 4-1.[146] Kershaw followed that up by again pitching eight scoreless innings in the Dodgers 6-0 shutout of the Marlins to end the road trip.[147]

The Dodgers began a three-game series against the American League East leading Boston Red Sox at Dodger Stadium on August 24. Ricky Nolasco and John Lackey both pitched eight strong innings, and only five hits were allowed combined. Hanley Ramirez two-run homer in the 4th was the only scoring in the 2-0 win for the Dodgers, which stretched their lead in the division to 10 1/2 games, the largest since 1977.[148] Ryu allowed 4 runs in the first inning the next day, with the big blow on a 3 run homer by Jonny Gomes and the Dodgers never recovered, losing 4-2.[149] The Red Sox won the series finale 8-1, the Dodgers first series loss since June 14–16. They had won or tied 18 straight series, a franchise record.[150] Greinke got the Dodgers back on track after their two game slide, pitching 8 2/3 innings against the Cubs and also hitting an RBI single in the 6-0 win.[151] The Dodgers offense was stymied by Cubs pitcher Travis Wood the next night and they lost 3-2. The team moved past 3 million in attendance this night, the first team in the Majors to reach that mark.[152] Nolasco pitched eight shutout innings, while striking out 11, and Ramirez and Ethier both homered in the 4-0 win on August 28. The Dodgers 8 shutout wins in the month of August was the most by any MLB team in one month since the Dodgers did it in September of 1988.[153] Yasiel Puig had four hits and Adrian Gonzalez hit two homers as the Dodgers pounded the San Diego Padres 9-2 on August 30, setting a new L.A. Dodgers record with 22 wins in a month, one shy of the franchise record set by the 1953 and 1957 Brooklyn Dodgers. Newly signed Edinson Volquez made his Dodgers debut, the 26th pitcher the team used this season, setting a franchise record.[154] The Dodgers tied the franchise record for wins in a month the next day, as they finished August with a 2-1 win over the Padres.[155]

Clayton Kershaw had a rare poor performance in the opener of a road series against the Colorado Rockies. He allowed 5 runs and a career-high 11 hits, but the Dodger offense picked him up and the team continued winning, 10-8.[157]Ricky Nolasco won his sixth straight decision, 7-4, on September 3 as Nick Punto had four hits and Carl Crawford had three hits and two RBI.[158] The Dodgers dropped the series finale to the Rockies, 7-5, thanks to a poor first Dodger start by Edison Volquez, who allowed four runs in four innings of work.[159] The Dodgers next traveled to Great American Ballpark to begin a weekend series with the Cincinnati Reds. Chris Capuano left the game in the second inning with a groin strain and the Reds won 3-2.[160] A walk-off single by Todd Frazier in the 10th inning gave the Reds a 4-3 victory on September 7, sending the Dodgers to their first three-game losing streak since June 8–10.[161] The Reds completed the sweep, 3-2, thanks to two home runs by Jay Bruce and a walk-off double by Ryan Hanigan.[162]

A.J. Ellis's solo homer on September 19 against the Diamondbacks helped the Dodgers clinch the NL West Championship.

The Dodgers returned home on September 9 and smacked the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-1. Juan Uribe went had 4 hits, including 3 home runs, in 4 at-bats. He was the first Dodger to hit three homers in a game since Andre Ethier on June 26, 2009. The Dodgers as a team hit six homers in the game, the most since they hit seven against the Padres on September 16, 2006.[163] The team won again the next night, as Scott Van Slyke hit a pinch hit walk-off home run in the 11th inning to give the Dodgers a 5-3 win. This was the team's first walk off homer by a pinch hitter since Olmedo Sáenz in 2007.[164]Patrick Corbin kept the Dodgers offense in check the next day and the Diamondbacks won 4-1.[165] A walk-off single by Adrian Gonzalez in the 10th inning gave the Dodgers a 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on September 12.[166]Madison Bumgarner out pitched Kershaw as the Giants won the next game, 4-2.[167] The Giants pounded the Dodgers 19-3 on September 15. The 19 runs was the most ever scored by one team at Dodger Stadium, the most allowed by the Dodgers in a game since May 5, 2001, at Chicago, and the worst Dodger home defeat since a July 3, 1947 loss to the Giants in Brooklyn.[168]Hunter Pence hit two homers in the Giants 4-3 win in the series finale. He hit five homeruns in total in the four game series, the first Giant to accomplish that feat against the Dodgers since Willie Mays.[169]

The Dodgers traveled to Phoenix to begin a four-game series against the Diamondbacks, needing to win just two of them to clinch the Western Division title. In the opener, Hyun-Jin Ryu allowed only two hits in a complete game effort; however, one of those hits was a two-run homer by Paul Goldschmidt and they lost again 2-1.[170]Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramírez returned to the Dodgers' lineup on September 17 after missing time with injuries and both reached base four times as Uribe and Gonzalez homered. The Dodgers snapped the four-game losing streak with a 9-3 win.[171] They failed in their first chance to clinch the division when spot starter Stephen Fife didn't make it out of the third the next night and Ronald Belisario was pounded for five runs in relief. The Diamondbacks won 9-4.[172] The Dodgers clinched the National League West championship with a 7-6 win over the Diamondbacks on September 19. Ramírez hit two home runs and A. J. Ellis hit the game-winning homer in the eighth inning for the Dodgers' first West title since 2009. The team's 9 1/2 game deficit on June 21 was the largest the Dodgers had ever overcome to win a division, and they were just the fourth team in MLB history to ever accomplish that feat.[173] The next day, the Dodgers rested all the regulars in the opening of a series at the San Diego Padres. The backups could not generate any offense and the Padres won 2-0.[174] Clayton Kershaw was brilliant the next day, pitching seven shutout innings while allowing just three hits and striking out ten. Yasiel Puig and A. J. Ellis both hit two run homers in the 4-0 victory.[175] Zack Greinke pitched five shutout innings as the Dodgers wrapped up their series with the Padres with a 1-0 win.[176] Hyun-jin Ryu allowed only one run in seven innings and Puig and Matt Kemp each hit solo homers as the Dodgers won the opener of their final road series of the season, 2-0, over the Giants.[177] Ricky Nolasco allowed six runs over 5 2/3 innings in his last start of the regular season, a 6-4 loss to the Giants. It was his third straight poor start.[178] The Dodgers finished up their final road series of the regular season when Ángel Pagán homered off Paco Rodriguez to give the Giants a 3-2 victory.[179]

Kershaw pitched six shutout innings in his final start of the regular season, an 11-0 win, on September 27. He finished the season with a Major League leading 1.83 ERA, making him the first pitcher to lead the league three years in a row since Greg Maddux in 1993–95. His ERA was the lowest for a starter since Pedro Martínez in 2000.[180] Greinke also pitched well in his final start, allowing only one run while striking out seven in six innings. However, the Dodgers were unable to score and lost the game, 1-0.[181] The Dodgers lost their final game of the regular season, 2-1, to the Rockies on September 29. They finished the season with a record of 92-70.[182]

As National League West Champions, the Dodgers advanced to the 2013 NLDS to play the Eastern Division champion Atlanta Braves. They suffered a blow on the last day of the regular season when MRI results revealed that Matt Kemp had a severe ankle injury and would not be able to play in the post-season.[183]Andre Ethier was also dealing with an ankle injury and he was limited to pinch hitting in the division series.[184]

The Dodgers advanced to the NLCS for the first time since 2009, where they faced off with the St. Louis Cardinals. In the first game of the series at Busch Stadium, Zack Greinke allowed only two runs in eight innings, while striking out a season high 10 batters, the first pitcher to strike out 10 Cardinals in a post-season game since Denny Galehouse in the 1944 World Series. Andre Ethier, making his first post-season start of the season after being limited to pinch hitting the previous round, just missed catching Carlos Beltran's double at the fence to allow the two runs to score in the third. The Dodgers also managed two runs, on a single by Juan Uribe in the top of the third. The game remained tied into extra innings until Beltran recorded the walk-off hit off Kenley Jansen in the bottom of the 13th inning to give the Cardinals a 3-2 victory. This was the longest game in Dodgers post-season history since the 1916 World Series.[189] In the second game, Clayton Kershaw and two relievers combined to allow only 2 hits and 1 run but that was enough as the Dodgers offense failed to score at all and they lost 1-0. Kershaw was the first starting pitcher in post-season history to lose a game while allowing no earned runs and two or fewer hits.[190]

Hanley Ramírez sat out game two after getting hit by a pitch in the first game and was diagnosed with a fractured rib. However, he was back in the lineup for Game three at Dodger Stadium and had two hits and an RBI. Yasiel Puig snapped an 0 for 11 streak with an RBI triple and Hyun-jin Ryu pitched seven shutout innings as the Dodgers picked up their first victory of the series with a 3-0 victory.[191]Ricky Nolasco got his first post-season start the next day and he allowed three runs in the third, on an RBI double by Matt Carpenter and a booming 2-run home run by Matt Holliday. Ramírez tried to play through the pain again, but struck out three times and was in noticeable pain when he was taken out in the seventh inning. The Dodgers offense again struggled to score runs and they lost 4-2 to fall to the brink of elimination.[192] Greinke responded with seven strong innings in Game Five and the Dodgers offense came alive. The team hit four home runs, including two by Adrian Gonzalez and held on to win 6-4, sending the series back to St. Louis. The four homers tied a Dodger post-season record that had previously been accomplished in Game 2 of the 1977 World Series and Game 1 of the 1978 NLCS.[193]

In Game Six, Kershaw struggled from the start and he allowed seven runs on ten hits in four innings, his shortest start of the year. NLCS MVPMichael Wacha shut out the Dodgers for the second time in the series and the Dodgers season came to an end with a 9-0 blowout loss.[194]

On September 11, purchased the contract of LHP Onelki García from AAA Albuquerque and transferred RHP Shawn Tolleson from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.[269]

On September 14, recalled OF Alex Castellanos from AAA Albuquerque, purchased the contract of OF Nick Buss from AAA Albuquerque and transferred RHP José Dominguez from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.[270]

On September 16, activated OF Matt Kemp from the 15-day disabled list.[271]